GCC

More than 900 Genesee Community College students have completed their degrees in the past 12 months and today about 225 of them accepted their diplomas in a commencement service that also marked the yearlong celebration of GCC's 50th anniversary.

Kristina M. Johnson, Ed.D., chancellor, State University of New York, gave the commencement address. She focused on a theme of commitments -- commitment to be optimistic and persistent, commitment to being kind, commitment to community and charity, and a commitment to a sustainable environment.

Johnson started off with the story of her mother, whose father died when she was 9. Her mother's mother died in the middle of the Great Depression; Johnson's mother was in high school when this happened, and she was left to raise her two younger brothers alone. Eventually, she married and raised seven children. At age 60, Johnson's mother was finally able to return to school.

"If not for a community college she would have been able to pursue her passion to further her education," Johnson said. "Many of you are like my mom. You had to juggle lives, careers, family and all of the other responsibilities that go along with being contributing members of our very busy society, so today we’re here to celebrate you."

Johnson then told the story of one of her own young-life struggles. At age 22, while training for an attempt to make the U.S. Olympic team, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which in 1979 was rarely curable.

"Imagine at 22 staring down a life of not surviving past 24," Johnson said.

When she started treatment, she went into a clinic for the first time and met two sisters, probably in their 60s. They had survived together in a Japanese internment camp and they were tough.

Johnson sat down and one of them said to her, "Is this your first time?"

Johnson wanted to know how she knew and the woman said, "because you look scared."

"I was crushed because truly I was scared," Johnson said. "I didn't know what to expect. I didn’t know if it would hurt. I didn’t know if I would be able to compete in my sport. I didn’t know if the treatments would work."

Weeks went by with Johnson continuing treatment and by now she was a veteran, having settled into the routine. One afternoon, in the waiting room, again with the two sisters, another woman came in and sat down. Johnson asked her if she was new.

"Yes, how did you know?" the woman replied.

"I looked up at the two sisters and I winked," Johnson said. “'Well,' I said, 'you weren’t here yesterday and we’re all here at the same time every day so it has to be your first time.' I then proceeded to walk her through what was going to happen next.

"I could see the fear I had felt and I said to her, ‘think of something nice.’ She got up, she walked out of the waiting room, and before she walked in (to the next room), she turned around and looked at me and she said -- "

At this point, Johnson stopped. With hundreds and hundreds of people in the Call Arena, there wasn't a whisper, a ruffle of paper, a snap of a shutter or the squeak of a chair. Silence as far as the ear could hear.

Johnson composed herself, "She said, 'I'm going to think of you.'"

Johnson said she can never tell the story without becoming emotional.

That became one of the greatest memories of my life because on that day I chose to be kind," Johnson said. "There didn’t seem to be any other choice but to be kind without expecting anything in return."

From these lessons, Johnson encouraged the students to commit to optimism and to be persistent no matter what they encounter in life.

"I remain a committed, if not obnoxious, optimist," she said.

She also told students to commit to kindness but to also accept themselves without judgment.

"While you’re busy practicing kindness toward others, I want you to do one other thing," she said. "I want you to be kind to yourself."

Charlie Cook, CEO of Liberty Pumps, was honored by the Alumni Association for his charitble support of the college.

Like a crescendo of a year-long concerto, Genesee Community College is fine-tuning all the logistics of its 50th Commencement Ceremony scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, in the new Richard C. Call Arena (RCCA), one of the last events of its multifaceted 50th Anniversary celebration.

More than 200 students are anticipated to walk across the stage after hearing Kristina M. Johnson, Ed.D., the new Chancellor of the State University of New York give the keynote address.

In addition to this being the College's 50th Commencement celebrated in a new facility, other unique aspects of this year's event are the 44 international students that will be graduating this year; 11 of those are from the island nation of Curacao.

GCC is also delighted that 10 students from area high schools will be completing their GCC degree requirements concurrently with their high school diplomas. These 10 graduates participated in the inaugural cohort of the College's STEM Program with the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Office, which started back in 2012 when the students were in seventh grade.

Several other special opportunities are also going to be part of the event.

"Overall, this is a very exciting Commencement Ceremony for the College," GCC President James M. Sunser said. "So many wonderful opportunities are coming to fruition and all in the name and spirit of student success. This ceremony will be one to remember."

The Commencement ceremony rehearsal will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 18, in the RCCA to prepare soon-to-be graduates for the procession.

Prior to the rehearsal, representatives from Carlson's Studio will be set up in Room H103 of the Call Arena to take individual graduation photographs. Graduates should be in cap and gown, and have payment for their photo package.

Each GCC graduate received five tickets for guests to attend the ceremony inside the RCCA Fieldhouse as part of their commencement package. There are no additional tickets available.

On Commencement Sunday, guests with tickets can enter the Fieldhouse starting at 12 p.m. for general admission seating. All guests, regardless of age, will require a ticket to enter the Fieldhouse.

Additional seating for guests without tickets is available on a first come, first served basis in the Stuart Steiner Theatre where the ceremony will be broadcast on the Theatre screen. The doors of the Theatre will also open at 12 p.m.

For distant family and friends scattered around the world and unable to enjoy the event in Batavia, the entire Commencement Ceremony will be live-streamed with easy access from GCC's website or at this Web address: https://www.genesee.edu/home/event-streaming/.

Accessible seating accommodations are available in both the RCCA Fieldhouse for ticketed guests and non-ticketed guests in the Stuart Steiner Theatre. For details, please contact GCC's Office of Student Activities (585) 343-0055, ext. 6261, or via email at [email protected]before Friday, May 18, to make arrangements.

GCC's Child Care Center will be open for all graduates and guests for children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age to allow family and friends to focus on the ceremony. However, guests wishing to bring children to the commencement are required to have a ticket for each child regardless of age.

To sign up for FREE child care services, please contact Student Activities or call (585) 343-0055, ext. 6261, before Friday, May 18. The Child Care Center will open at 12 p.m. on Commencement Day.

The Batavia Society of Artists opened its annual spring show at the Richmond Memorial Library.

Tessa Lynn, a resident of Batavia, received Virginia Carr-Mumford Scholarship.

Lynn believes art is the culmination of all of human history and like art of the ancient past, she tries to focus on visual stories that may inspire a more considerate future. After attending Genesee Community College, she plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. Eventually, she would like to illustrate books.

"My hope is to always keep creating art," she said. "I don't believe that there is ever a point where a creator should stop learning, even after years of practice and observation. My artist journey has only just begun."

For five decades, Genesee Community College has celebrated its graduating classes at commencement, and the College is excited about the upcoming 50th annual graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 20.

The College, however, is also pleased to be introducing a new tradition this year.

On Wednesday, May 16, at 1:30 p.m. in the Richard C. Call Arena, the "SUNY GCC Employees -- Serving Beyond Expectations" ceremony will formerly recognize the many outstanding achievements of GCC's faculty and staff.

Among the highest honors are recognizing the recipients of prestigious 2018 State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Award for Excellence, which includes the following:

Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

Timothy P. Tomczak, professor/director of Social Sciences

Award for Excellence in Professional Service

Tara E. Conrad, assistant registrar

Amy A. Masters, technical specialist/financial aid retention

Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Service

Joseph L. Ziolkowski, assistant professor, Photography and Art

Award for Excellence in Teaching

Candice S. Vacin, associate professor of Psychology

David W. Johnson, instructor of Biology

Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching

Carol E. Geiselmann, adjunct instructor

Raymond A. Boucher, adjunct instructor

Award for Excellence in Classified Service

Raymond J. Strzelecki, building maintenance supervisor

"Genesee Community College has long had a reputation for being a great place to work," GCC's President James M. Sunser said. "In the spirit of commencement and the hard work and commitment of our students, we have also wanted to recognize the dedication of our faculty and staff who consistently go beyond expectations in helping our students succeed.

"This new event is the opportunity to honor the many GCC employees whose passion and compassion are on the job every day."

It should be noted that some College offices will be closed the afternoon of May 16 to accommodate the new awards ceremony.

In addition to the SUNY Chancellors Awards, the new "Serving Beyond Expectations" Ceremony will also recognize employees with extensive years of service at the Longevity Awards with benchmarks of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service to the College.

And, the College also created a whole new segment of recognition with seven unique categories of service in the newly adopted "Cougar Awards" in the following areas.

Teamwork Award -- praises superior performance by a department or cross-functional team

Rookie of the Year Award -- acknowledges the outstanding achievements of a new staff member

Inclusive Excellence Award -- commends a significant role in embracing the diversity, equity and inclusiveness of the campus community

President's Award -- distinguishes the efforts and services of an individual in support of the college's mission and strategic priorities

The Cougar Award nominees are secret until the awards ceremony and recipients will be named live during the event.

Lastly, but no less important, the "Serving Beyond Expectations" Ceremony recognizes the numerous accomplishments and contributions made by GCC's faculty and staff throughout the past academic year.

The number and breadth of these achievements exemplifies the quality and compassion that seems near endemic across all departments and divisions at GCC. Forty-four members of GCC's staff, and many of them with multiple honors and recognitions are listed under the general Awards category.

From professional presentations to serving as a panelist, board member, keynote speaker, juror, volunteer, evaluator, singer, exhibitor and even earning a certified drone piloting license -- GCC staff members are an active collection of top-notch professionals motivated by passion, patriotism and the idea of making the community a better place to live and work.

On Thursday, May 10, starting at 9 a.m., more than 100 high school students from across the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) region will be participating in high-tech, agricultural career experience at Genesee Community College, hosted by The BEST Center.

The third annual Precision Agriculture Day at the College's Batavia Campus features a wide array of presenters from the industry who will share information on the latest technological, science, engineering, and agricultural trends including drones, embryo transfer, precision farming and processing, GPS/GIS, auto steering and robotics.

This emerging technology is anticipated to create new employment opportunities in the future. High schoolers from 13 districts across the four counties have the opportunity to discover more about these potential and exciting career pathways and will be checking out how these technologies are used in their own backyard of Western New York.

The Precision Agriculture Committee, chaired by Nathan L. Rudgers, senior vice president of Business Development at Farm Credit East,was formed in 2015.

The committee, comprised of local precision agriculture consultants, agricultural leaders, as well as high school representatives, has been providing guidance and input on the development of programs to address the educational and awareness needs of this growing field.

Advances in technology have resulted in agricultural systems collecting data and using it in multiple operations all controlled through a computer, tablet or smart phone. This technology has created education and training opportunities, but there is a lack of skilled workers.

Enter The BEST Center, which is working to provide multiple educational opportunities in this growing arena.

The BEST Center provides businesses and organizations with customized training solutions ranging from supervisory skills to technical training. The Center also offers numerous professional and personal development courses for individuals, including classroom and online opportunities.

After working for the then-fledgling Genesee Community College District for more than 46 years, Maxine Koberg (nee Palmer) retired in 2016, leaving campus as an employee for the last time on Jan. 29th two years ago.

On Sunday, April 29th, the 72-year-old Batavia native and longtime Elba resident died at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

In an article written about her in The Batavian upon her retirement, she said she worked steadily after graduating from high school, later passing a Civil Service exam then landing a clerk's job at the GCC. She planned from the get-go to stick with it; she said felt competant in her duties and liked her work.

By all accounts, Koberg was a true team player and got along well her coworkers.

The kind of dedication she embodied certainly seems increasingly hard to come by; long-term "institutional knowledge" spanning decades in any field, more rare.

The Genesee Community College Nursing Program produces qualified and skilled candidates for positions in the healthcare each year. Under the direction of the Alumni Affairs Office, the Nursing Program Alumni are working hard to help qualified Nursing Program students overcome financial obstacles.

The GCC Nursing Alumni Committee established a new scholarship opportunity for future Nursing Program students to help mitigate financial obstacles to GCC student success. The entire community is invited to kick off National Nurses Week at the Batavia Downs at 5:30 p.m. onFriday, May 4, for the debut of the Gatsby Gala to support the GCC Nursing Alumni Scholarship.

Guest registration at the event begins at 5:30 p.m.. followed by a delicious sit-down dinner with a cash bar at 6 p.m. Emcee Scott Gardner, president of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, will introduce: GCC's Director of the Nursing Program Laurel Sanger; Chase Hughes, of Buffalo, who will testify to the difference qualified and passionate nurses made for him and his family; and Jennifer Sonricker, of Warsaw, who will share her journey battling her daughter's cancer.

At 7:15 p.m. all guests have chances to win big with door prizes and a cash raffle! The evening will conclude with a beautiful dessert and dancing the night away to the DJ talents of students from GCC's radio station 90.7 WGCC.

Tickets to the Gatsby Gala cost $100 per person and all proceeds go directly to the GCC Nursing Alumni Scholarship.

Tickets are on sale now! RSVP online here. You can also contact the Alumni Affairs Office at [email protected]

The Nursing Scholarship is generously sponsored by the following:

Bronze Sponsors:

Summit Family Dental Care

Laurel Sanger

Jerilyn Constantino

Brenda Schiavone

Michelle Grohs

Jeffrey Erickson Law Office

In-Kind Supporters:

Bobette and Dan McCormick

Tops Friendly Markets in Warsaw

Healing Hands Massage & Spa LLC

Steuben Trust Company

Envision Salon & Spa

Michelle Grohs

Jeffrey Erickson Law Office

Additional Donations:

Robert O. Holley

There are still opportunities available to sponsor Nursing Program scholarships at many levels.

Students at Genesee Community College competed today in a business idea pitch competition. with a couple of hundred dollars in prize money at stake from StartUp Genesee Committee of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

In all, 17 individuals and teams competed, including Gino Vos, above, who pitched his idea of a tourism-related T-shirt company in his home of Kurasoleno, in South America. He won second place in the "Most Likely to Succeed" category.

The winner in that category was Glenn Holmes, with Livestock Haulage Company. Holmes is also an international student from Ireland.

"Time" magazine recently quoted Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith as she talked about the value of poetry in our world today.

She said, "Poetry requires us to be humble and beholden to something other than our own opinion. That's important. There's too much in our 21st century lives that is telling us we're the most important thing, that our initial gut reaction is incredibly valuable and not vulnerable, and that our opinions as consumers are more important than just about anything else about us.

"A poem says 'No, no. You have feelings. You have fears. You have questions. Let's get back to the voice and the vocabulary of being human.' "

The annual student poetry contest at Genesee Community College is designed to do just that -- to encourage and reward students for their abilities to express their feelings, fears, questions and voices through poetry.

For the 17th year, the poetry contest illuminated the unique and impressive talents of GCC's students. On Tuesday, April 17, the six winning students were honored at an awards and recognition ceremony in the Alfred C. O'Connell Library where they each received a certificate, gift card, and a journal to encourage them to continue their writing.

The 2018 Student Poetry Contest winners, awarded by a panel of six judges, included:

Kowalczewski began at GCC in 2016 as an Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) student and has since graduated high school and is now pursuing an associate degree in the Social Sciences with a concentration in English at GCC.

1st Place -- Nicole Favata, of Dunkirk

Favata is a Fashion Design student at GCC. Favata submitted a poem in spoken word format and the transcript is available on the Poetry Contest Web page.

2nd Place -- Raxel Piper, of Oakfield

Her second-place winning poem is entitled "The Perfect Woman."

3rd Place -- Mackayla Poorman, of Farmersville Station

Poorman is pursuing an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts at GCC's Arcade Campus Center and plans to transfer to a four-year college for writing and to minor in Theater. Her creative poem format was inspired by several of her favorite authors; Maggie Stiefvater, Jennifer Niven and Jonathan Safran Foer.

"Our students have many responsibilities between their studies, clubs, sports, jobs and families that demand their time and attention," Assistant Professor and Reference Services Librarian Cynthia Hagelberger said.

"We are thrilled to see so many of them putting in the extra effort it takes to enter the poetry contest each year. The library is proud and honored to offer a program that provides students with a public forum to celebrate their writing skills and creativity."

While there may still be flurries in the air and icy sidewalks, the Alumni Affairs Office at Genesee Community College is thinking about golf!

Registration is now open for the third annual Cougar Classic Scholarship Scramble scheduled for Monday, July 23, at the Stafford Country Club, 8873 Morganville Road (Route 237) in Stafford.

The Cougar Classic Scholarship Scramble allows up to 36 foursomes for the 18-hole event at the esteemed Stafford Country Club. Sign-in starts 11:30 a.m. with lunch available, and golfers tee off in "shotgun" style at 12:30 p.m.

Registration is $125 per golfer and includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, all beer and nonalcoholic beverages during play, lunch and dinner with a cash bar, and much more!

To join the event for dinner only is $25.

Most importantly, all proceeds go directly to GCC Student Scholarship Program, making higher education possible for deserving students in our community.

The registration deadline for golfers is June 15. Contact Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Jennifer Wakefield at 343-0055, ext. 6265, or via email at [email protected].

Did you know Genesee Community College offers a complete child care center for students, staff, faculty AND THE COMMUNITY?

You don't have to be a student at GCC for your child to attend the College's state-of-the-art Child Care Center! Operated by the Genesee Community College Association, the Child Care Center features extensive developmental resources for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

The Child Care Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday -- including over the summer according to GCC's academic calendar. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are included in the tuition rates.

All of the food provided to the children is regulated through CACFP (Child Adult Care Food Program), which is a food program that adheres to all nutritional standards and values recommended for young, developing children. The Center also has safe sleeping equipment and spaces for a comforting naptime for the little ones!

The trained and dedicated staff at the Child Care Center provides age appropriate activities such as kindergarten readiness lessons, fine and gross motor activities, and socialization. In addition to the center's outdoor playground which provides great exercise and fresh air all summer long, the facilities available at the College's Batavia Campus provide creative and active programming, such as visiting the library, going to the theater to see a show, running in the gym, playing in the clock tower quad and enjoying the physical therapy obstacle course.

For convenience, the College provides designated drop-off and pick-up parking spots right up front by the Stuart Steiner Theatre entrance.

In addition, all teachers are CPR, First Aid and AED trained. All of the lead teachers hold degrees in education and all staff complete at least 30 hours of training every two years to guarantee that they stay up to date on early childhood best practices.

"We take great pride in offering our children the best care and developmentally appropriate education," Staci Williams, director of the Child Care Center said. "We strive to immerse the children into the College environment and allow them to enjoy and appreciate these beautiful facilities that surround us as much as possible.

"From letting the children ride tricycles in the gym on a snowy day, to getting them outside to the playground in the summer-our children really benefit from GCC, like so many other students and staff."

Registration for the GCCA Child Care Center is simple, the application is available online here and can be mailed or dropped off to the Child Care Center at GCC's Batavia Campus located at One College Road in Batavia.

Child Care Center rates are based on the number of days the child attends and the age of the child. The U.S. Department of Education and SUNY awards grant funds for child care tuition subsidies for income eligible GCC students.

Please contact the Child Care Office if you would like specific pricing. GCC makes it easy to make child care tuition payments with an online payment center -- no more having to remember your checkbook!

Officials at Genesee Community College are delighted to announce the College's 50th graduating class will hear from the new State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor, Kristina M. Johnson, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. onSunday, May 20.

Johnson is the fourth SUNY Chancellor to grace the College's commencement stage with Nancy L. Zimpher appearing in 2010, John R. Ryan in 2007 and Robert King in 2003.

GCC's first-ever graduating class received their diplomas in 1969 inside the auditorium of the New York State School for Blind. Through the years, GCC has held commencement ceremonies in several other locations to accommodate the growing number of graduates.

Batavia High School, the William W. Stuart Forum in the Batavia Campus and finally the Anthony T. Zambito Gymnasium have all hosted GCC's commencement programs. This year, GCC's Class of 2018, the College's 50th Class of graduates, will celebrate their success in the new and permanent venue, the Richard C. Call Arena.

"This year's Commencement Ceremony is going to be a special day for so many reasons. First and foremost, graduation is a sacred event celebrating the personal accomplishments of hundreds of students -- each with his or her individual story and journey. It is, without question, the best day of the year for the whole College community," said GCC President James M. Sunser, Ph.D.

"Secondly, we are honored to welcome Chancellor Johnson to our campus and look forward to hearing her distinguished remarks. Finally, this event brings our 50th Anniversary celebration to a grand crescendo, and what better place than in our new Call Arena."

SUNY Chancellor Johnson joined The State University of New York as its 13th Chancellor just six months ago in September. With 64 college and university campuses located across New York State, SUNY is the nation's largest comprehensive system of public higher education. It serves more than 1.3 million students annually, employs more than 90,000 faculty and staff, and connects more than three million alumni around the world.

Prior to joining SUNY, Johnson was cofounder and CEO of Cube Hydro Partners LLC, and had served as undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Energy. She served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University from 2007 to 2009 with direct oversight of the academic operations and budget of nine schools that included leading interdisciplinary programs, academic centers and institutes. As Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University from 1999 to 2007, Johnson created intensive student/faculty research partnerships and led a strategic planning process as part of Duke's "Building on Excellence" university plan.

Among Johnson's many academic awards are:

40 years of Title IX -- 40 Women Who Have Made an Impact by ESPNW (2012)

Woman of Vision Award for Leadership by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (2010)

Milton Steward Award from the Small Business Technology Council (2010)

John Fritz Medal (2008)

Society of Women Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)

Dennis Gabor Prize for creativity and innovation in modern optics (1993)

Fulbright Faculty Scholar (1991)

National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator (1985)

In addition, Johnson was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2015) and the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame (2003), holds 118 U.S. and international patents, has published 149 referenced papers and proceedings and has received honorary degrees from the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Tufts University, McGill University, Trinity College, Dublin and the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Johnson received her B.S. with distinction, M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. After a NATO post-doctoral fellowship at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, she joined the University of Colorado -- Boulder's faculty in 1985 as an assistant professor and, later, full professor.

Additional commencement information can be found here. For families interested in using GCC's Child Care Center for children 5 years old and younger, the reservation deadline is Friday, May 4.

Below is a photos of GCC's first graduating class -- the Class of 1969.

The Genesee County Health Department conducted a community health emergency drill today at Genesee Community College, this time simulating how workers would handle a potential outbreak of Hepatitis A.

These drills are required by the state and state health department officials draw up the scenario that will be handled by all the county health departments in the state.

In this case, the health department was notified that a fictitious worker at a fictitious grocery store had contracted Hepatitis A, confirmed by lab results. Since the store employee handled fresh produce, residents in the county were to be notified through news media that if they had been in that store, especially in the produce section, that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. The residents are then encouraged to come to the aid station, register, be asked a few health questions and if not yet symptomatic, given a vaccine shot.

In the drill, nurses, from the mental health department in this drill, simulated the shots by sticking a needle into a tangerine.

Some of the participants acting as patients in the drill were GCC students. Each trip through the process was worth a slice of pizza.

The GENESEE IT, SAY IT initiative continues at Genesee Community College with a special performance of "The Script" by Tim Collins on Thursday, April 12, at 12:30 p.m. in the Batavia Campus gymnasium.

GENESEE IT, SAY IT is a powerful campaign the College launched to encourage and empower individuals to speak up if or when they witness, or learn of, a sexual assault.

One of the key components of this initiative includes opportunities to educate students, faculty and staff on the power of reporting incidents they are aware of. The initiative is jointly sponsored by GCC's Dean of Students Office, Human Resources Office and the Title IX Coordinator.

Tim Collins will perform his award-winning one-man show entitled "The Script" about sexual assault prevention, toxic masculinity and bystander intervention.

"It is crucial that we continually encourage students, staff and faculty to speak up and report incidents of sexual assault," said Dean of Students Patricia Chaya. "One of the ways to empower individuals is to teach them bystander intervention strategies and to reiterate the avenues of support available to not only victims of these kinds of assaults, but to those reporting it as well."

This event is free and open to the public. Bleacher seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

Genesee Community College invites homeschooled students, their parents and siblings to attend the Homeschool Information and Orientation Session on Wednesday, April 25, at 10 a.m. at the Batavia Campus in room T119 of the Conable Technology Building.

Attendees can learn about GCC's exciting opportunities for students who are homeschooled, and visit with key college staff members who work with homeschool students to have their specific questions answered.

Homeschooled students have extensive opportunities to advance their education through GCC. Classes are offered in many subject areas and students under age 18 may take approved ACE (Accelerated College Enrollment) courses at a reduced tuition rate.

ACE Program Specialist Dan Snyder, who works with many homeschooled students currently enrolled at GCC, will be at the session to provide information. GCC Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Admissions Lindsay Gerhardt will also share information about the admissions process, as will Joe Bailey, GCC's director of Student Financial Assistance and Veteran Services.

The session will include an overview on how to obtain a New York State high school diploma through college credit earned, placement testing, the registration process, financial aid, online learning, campus tours and a Q & A session. The overall program includes the following schedule:

"GCC is enjoying a growing population of homeschooled students," Snyder said. "It's a great opportunity for students to continue with a quality, home-based education and get a head start on college for a fraction of the cost."

Through the ACE Program at GCC, homeschooled students are exposed to small classroom environments with extraordinary one-on-one attention to ensure students receive a quality education that is focused on individual success.

GCC's homeschooled students enjoy the use of all of the College facilities, including the Transfer Center, Alfred O'Connell Library, Fitness Center and computer labs. Students can explore and expand their career aspirations through GCC's Career Center. GCC's newest facilities, the Richard C. Call Arena and the Student Success Center that are both scheduled to open this summer, will provide even more exciting new opportunities at GCC's Batavia Campus.

Who: Entrepreneurs of all industries! Highly recommended for Business Idea Pitch Competitors!

Every solid business venture starts with one thing -- a pitch! Whether making a sale or convincing an investor, your idea pitch has to be organized, well-thought out, powerful and convincing! GCC is here to help get you prepared!

On April 12, GCC will host a special workshop called "Idea Pitch Preparation"led by Sam Campanella of the Small Business Development Center.

Idea Pitch Preparation will take place on Thursday, April 12, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in room T121 of the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus.

This workshop is free and open to the public; you do not have to be participating in the Business Idea Pitch Competition to attend these workshops. To sign up, please contact Amy Conley at [email protected].

Do you have a passion you'd like to turn into a business but you aren't sure if anyone else will think it's a good idea? Consider participating in a Business Idea Pitch Competition! You could even earn a cash prize!

The first-ever local Business Idea Pitch Competition will be held Thursday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Conable Technology Building at the Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus.

The GCEDC has donated cash prizes which will be awarded at the pitch competition on April 19. Pitches will be judged by members of the Startup Genesee Committee.

Participants in the Business Idea Pitch Competition are strongly encouraged to attend the Pitch Idea Preparation workshop in order to prepare for the competition on April 19. For additional details on the competition, please visit https://www.genesee.edu/home/events/businesspitch/

Registration is open now for both summer and fall 2018. Have you seen all of the great courses being offered at GCC? Don't miss your chance to get started on your college degree!

The admissions team and student success coaches at Genesee Community College are here to help you pursue your degree or certificate program. Apply today and get registered right away!

Representatives from GCC's student services offices will be on hand to answer questions about admissions, career and transfer services, student activities, athletics and you can attend a financial aid session. Tours of the campus will be available, including the new Student Success Center, Richard C. Call Arena and College Village -- GCC's apartment-style residential housing.

Can't make it to Open House? Join us on a Friday Visit Day. Learn about GCC's application and admissions processes, financial aid opportunities, take a campus tour, and sit in on a college class. Friday Visit Days begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon on the following dates:

With more than 100 courses available online every semester and 15 degrees that can be earned completely online, GCC is more convenient than ever. GCC's Campus Centers located in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw provide additional options to attend class close to home.